One of the most popular subjects that comes up all the time in fitness and nutrition related circles is the issue of "How to lose weight fast." It seems as though everyone is in a huge hurry tolose as much weight as possible, and they will purchase almost any product that will tell them how to lose weight fast. But, the secret of how to lose weight fast is actually quite simple - just master one basic equation and you will be able to create the body you have always desired!
If there is one thing that people who are looking for advice on how to lose weight fast should learn, it should be the basic weight lossformula. In simple terms...
Calories Burned - Calories Consumed = Weight Loss
Basically, eat less energy (food) than you burn and you will lose weight. It doesn't matter what it is - you could eat pizza and ice cream all day if you want - as long as you eat less food than your body burns, you will lose weight. Now, it is obviously a good idea to make healthy choices, but the above example is just to demonstrate the simplicity of the issue.
One pound of stored body fat has 3500 calories. So, if you want to lose one pound of fat, you need to burn 3500 more calories than you consume. If you want to lose two pounds of fat per week (a safe number for almost everyone), you will need to consume 1000 fewer calories than you burn per day. How many calories do you burn per day? This varies for each person, but an average 170 pound man who does not exercise will burn around 2400 calories per day. You can search for a BMR calculator that will help you determine how many calories you burn per day.
So, using our two pound per week weight loss for a 170 pound man as an example, lets put the numbers into the equation.
2400 - Calories Consumed = 1000
So, using simple math, our subject would need to consume 1400 calories per day.
What foods should these 1400 calories per day come from? The ideal weight loss diet is rich in protein and has moderate amounts of carbs and fat included. Right from the start, let's get a few things clear - fat does not make you fat, and carbs do not make you fat - excess calories do. Aim for around 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, and make up the rest of your daily caloric needs with a combination of healthy fats and carbs.
So, now that your diet is taken care of, let's look at the issue of exercise. In simple terms...
Do as little as possible.
Wait, that's crazy! If someone want's to lose weight fast, they should do as much exercise as possible, right? That will make the pounds melt right off!
If only it were that simple. If you look back at the weight loss formula that was discussed in the first section, and then the recommendations for your diet in the second section of this article, you will see that we are pretty much reaching our maximum daily caloric deficit. At this point, burning more calories is actually counterproductive. When you are trying to lose weight at an accelerated pace, hormonal changes occur, and scientific studies have shown that excess exercise in conjunction with a large caloric deficit actually increases the rate of metabolic slowdown and causes other hormonal issues. This is something you want to avoid.
If you want to do any exercise, stick to some light resistance training twice or three times per week. If you are dieting hard, that is all you will really want to do anyways..
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